The metabolic syndrome has become an important health issue world-wide. There is a striking increase in the prevalence of metabolic disorders included in the metabolic syndrome, such as abdominal obesity, type 2 diabetes, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD), dyslipidaemia and hyperinsulinaemia.
The diet is one life style factor to be used in the combat against the metabolic syndrome and improved nutrition was recently identified as the single most important tool to reduce the disease burden in the European countries. Several dietary factors and/or properties have been identified as protective adjunct to the metabolic syndrome. A low glycaemic index (GI) diet has thus been associated with a reduced risk of developing diabetes and CVD. Also the type and amount of lipids, and the type and amount of dietary fibre may affect metabolic risk parameters. Certain food groups have further been associated with a lower risk of metabolic syndrome. The progression of the metabolic syndrome proceeds through a step-wise deterioration of metabolic events where deterioration of insulin sensitivity appears to have a key role in a “vicious circle” of hyperinsulinaemia and insulin resistance. Food factors which improve the metabolic control of full-blown manifestations of the metabolic syndrome in subjects with e.g. type 2 diabetes and dyslipidaemia, can therefore be expected to be preventive against this syndrome, whereas food factors inducing high blood glucose and insulin responses may have the opposite effect.
The lower insulin demand with e.g. low-GI foods facilitates blood glucose regulation in situations of impaired insulin sensitivity and in case of impaired insulin secretion, thus providing a therapeutic tool in the management of type 2 diabetes. Pharmaceutical treatment of this conditions, involve different regimens such as insulin secretagouges e.g. sulfonylureas, insulin sensitisers e.g. metformin and thiazolidinediones, or exogenous insulin therapy. From a diet perspective, glucose is the major insulin secretagogue. Recent findings suggest that certain proteins and amino acids also stimulate insulin secretion; directly and/or indirectly by stimulating incretin release. Food derived insulin secretagouges offers advantages compared with traditional pharmaceuticals (e.g. sulfonylureas) in that the insulin secretion only occurs concomitantly with increased blood glucose levels.
Protein induced insulin secretion also circumvents negative side effects that may be associated with certain antidiabetic drugs.
WO200784059 describes a protein composition comprising an amino acid mixture comprising leucine, isoleucine, valine, lysine and threonine in an amount from about 35 to about 90 g/100 g of the total amount of the amino acid part. The composition is useful for control of blood glucose levels in a mammal.
However, there remains a need for new alternative and/or improved compositions which may be useful to regulate blood glucose and thereby reduce or regulate metabolic syndrome, which is increasing worldwide.